The Advocate, the Film Maker, the Dancer and the Ukelele

Auckland based Cook Islander Mary Ama is in Rarotonga on a project to make a film about the making of ukuleles.
She spoke with the Times on Thursday morning.
Mary is well known as the Pacific Arts Advocate with the Waitakere City Council. She is also well known as the organizer of the Pasifika Experience Education Programme based at the Corbans Wine Estate in Waitakere. The programme has a Pan Pacific approach to culture and featured recently on the TV programme Tangata Pasifika. Mary says the programme is also about strengthening and developing the community.
With Mary on this project are film maker Nada Cottrell a consultant with the Grey Lynn Auckland company “Communications and Design “and Cook Islander Teremoana Tunui also from Auckland who is a champion dancer.
Film maker Nada said the film would be a creative short about 10 minutes in duration and when made it may be entered into international competitions. The film would depict the making of ukuleles.
Mary said at the Council she sought to create income opportunities for Pacific people. She has worked closely with Nada in the past and came up with the idea for a film about ukuleles as they have always been used in the Pacific. The film is also about making our culture stronger at the international level. She sees it as one of those ownership and historical issues which needs to be tidied up.
It would be hard to find a Cook Islander more passionate about the culture than Mary Ama. She tackles the matter with an energy and enthusiasm that’s infectious. She knows how to get a room full of people fired up, she’s a tremendous communicator.
Mary is a wonderful advocate for Cook Islands culture and in her view we need to assert and affirm our historical reputation as the best weavers and carvers. One way to do this internationally is through the medium of film.
Nada has only been making short films for the last three years. Her next short film project will be about a Maori family history where a family story will be acted out.
Mary wants anyone who wishes to contribute in any way to the project to get in contact with her. She is in Room B19 at the Edgewater Resort. There are five people in the crew and they are here until next Tuesday.
Mary conveys her regards to family and also those who worked with her in New Zealand. She is grateful to the Edgewater Resort for providing accommodation.

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